Today’s post is inspired by my recent marches at Vancouver’s climate strikes and getting to see factual and powerful speeches by Musqueam, Tsliel-Waututh & Squamish speakers as well as Tiny House Warriors, along with Greta Thunberg and Severn Cullis Suzuki.
I’ve been fortunate to get two Fridays off now in September and October to listen, to march, to stand up, to sing, to chant. I have to look inward to my own truth, to my own reality, when figuring out why I’m doing this or where I might fit in. It goes back to the 1970s when I was a kid and learned about the environmental lessons of the day, such as overpopulation and electricity usage. I became an environmentalist as a kid. And have been since.
But, psychologically, when I try to figure out why I, like many other children back then were turned onto it, stayed with it. I like to credit this song for somewhat explaining it:
Five for Fighting – 100 Years
I know it’s a love song. Well, my love song is for this Earth. And maybe I will have 100 years to fight for it.
Love was a big part of the call for the movement in these marches, and it’s much better than the divisive and hateful calls from the oil fields and people with short-sightedness and greed. I remember 15. It is not so long ago. There is continuity here, from where I stood at 15 to now, to where I hope I will be at 100. I hope this will be a love-song for today’s youth. Do not give up.
The point is: don’t lose your heart, your youth, your soul. I am sure I feel the same as I did at 15. I know I won’t lose it. It gives me great pleasure to march, to sing out loud, to chant, to be resolute about the most important issues we have these days: to love our children and subsequent generations and actually fucking show it with action not just words. And when I go to these climate strikes, I feel that same pulse with everyone else, no matter who they are or where they are from or how different society might mark us. We are all different voices singing for the same thing. It feels good.